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The
trio stole money from at least 40 victims aged in their 70s and 80s, many of whom were disabled or suffering dementia,
after scouring their local area in Chorley, Lancashire, for men to
target.

As the women were
today handed ASBOs police officers said they fear there are many other
elderly men who fell victim to the gang, but are too embarrassed to come
forward.

Emma Reeves the third member of the gang

A court today
banned Reeves, Halliday and Bennett from all sheltered housing and
supported living accommodation in their home town.

The ASBOs state they cannot offer to provide any services for gain - except for legitimate employment or business.

And they cannot carry an ID or bank cards belonging to another person.

Speaking
after the hearing at Chorley magistrates' court, Insp Dave Robinson of
Lancashire Police said: 'These individuals targeted some of the most
vulnerable people in our community, exploiting them for their own
financial gain.

'The
victims in this instance were generally elderly men who were often
living alone with physical disabilities or struggling with dementia
issues.

'This activity has been going on for some years and the victims
we know about are potentially only the tip of the iceberg.

'There
are likely to be many other vulnerable victims we are not aware of who
have not reported issues due to embarrassment or a lack of capacity to
do so.

'A lot of this activity has taken place behind closed doors and so
has been very difficult to get a handle on.

'Getting the ASBOs is a great result for us and indeed the community of Chorley as a whole.

'Most of the victims have suffered some financial loss, as well as being made to feel threatened and intimated in their own homes.

'We hope that these ASBOs will put a stop to these women engaging in such behaviour as well send a warning to others that we take this issue extremely seriously.

Emma Reeves arriving at Chorley Magistrates' Court today

'These ASBOs will give us the ability to closely monitor these individuals' activities and hopefully prevent many more vulnerable people becoming victims. It will also give us the means to get these individuals quickly before a court for any breaches.'

Police said officers gathered a
dossier evidence showing the three women had stealing from and offering
services to vulnerable members of the community over the past year.

It
included taking inappropriate sums of money to assist with domestic
chores such as shopping. They also offered sexual services for financial
rewards.

Reeves had previously served three years jail after talked her way into the home of
a couple aged 79 and 83 before stealing £740. She was captured on CCTV
taking money from one of her victims after giving him a kiss.

CCTV images showing one of the women flirting with one of her victims

She leans in, planting a kiss on his cheek, before she charmed her way into his flat

David Dickinson, 55, whose father Jack,
80, was targeted by the women in another incident said: 'My dad has has
Alzheimer's and now he keeps repeating: "Have I told you I've been
robbed?" He has been left upset and confused.

'He keeps saying "I thought I was safe here".'

Mr
Dickinson added: 'I am so angry with these women. They're just horrible
people. Your natural human instinct is to look after vulnerable old
people yet these women pretended to care when they didn't.

'In my dad's case the woman said she
was his carer but when he let her in, he realised straight away that she
wasn't his carer because they have a set routine and this woman wasn't
behaving in a way that the carers usually do.

'I am so angry with these women. They're just horrible people... They should be in jail'

David Dickinson, whose father fell victim to the women

'She
started looking around and asked him if he had any money. God knows
what she took. But apparently she was in and out straight away. Even if
it was only a couple of quid, the effect it has had is awful.

'Then
another time they came to the window and asked for a cigarette so he
gave them one and she said "have you not got anymore? I know you've got
more.

'They imposed
themselves on him. They were making excuses trying to get into the
building. It's disgusting. They're preying on the vulnerable. I'm not
sure what good an ASBO will do? Some take pride in it, don't they. They
should be in jail.'

Labour Councillor Adrian Lowe said:
'I'm delighted that these women have been given ASBOs. They preyed on
men who were particularly vulnerable.

'A
lot of hard work has been done by our officers working in partnership
with the police and other agencies to gather the evidence to achieve
this result.

'I would hope that this will give people
who feel they're being exploited the confidence to tell us and not feel
embarrassed. If you are a victim of this type of crime, or any type of
anti-social behaviour, then please tell someone, it's the only way we
can put a stop to it.'

The orders will remain in place until December 2015.

A fourth woman Andrena Kelly, 36, was due to appear for an ASBO hearing but was unable to attend due to illness. A fifth woman faces trial for theft and burglary next January.

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The 'ASBO angels' preyed on elderly men, tricking their way into homes